U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
Addendum to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
Report 2006-11U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
June 2012 Anna HarrisU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceDivision of Policy and ProgramsArlington VA
This report is intended to complement the National and State Reports for the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. The conclusions in this report are the authors’ and do not represent official positions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The author thanks Sylvia Cabrera abd Richard Aiken for their input into this report.
Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
Addendum to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
Report 2006-112 Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
Contents
Introduction ......................................................................3
Sportspersons ....................................................................4
Hunting Participation .............................................................5
Regional Distribution .............................................................6
Hunting Expenditures ............................................................7
Hunting Licenses ................................................................7
Public and Private Land Hunting .................................................8
Type of Hunting ..................................................................8
Type of Game ....................................................................9
Trends ..........................................................................10
Fishing ..........................................................................11
Region ..........................................................................12
Fishing Types ...................................................................13
Fishing For Selected Species .....................................................13
Expenditures ...................................................................14
Trends ..........................................................................14
Conclusion ......................................................................16
Appendix A. Selected Characteristics of Resident Anglers and
Hunters by State: 2006 ............................................................17Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers 3
Introduction
USFWS/Anna Harris
In October of 2011 the Secretary
of Interior touted the findings in a
new report that identified several
parks and historic areas with ties to
minorities. National parks provide an
excellent opportunity for American’s
to explore the outdoors and annually
receive over 11 billion visitors. In his
effort to identify more of these sites
important to the nation’s Hispanics and
African-Americans, Secretary Salazar
encouraged the Park Service “to identify
more sites tied to minorities that could be
added to the park system.” Presently less
than 3 percent of all national landmarks
are designated for women, Hispanics or
African-Americans (Venessa Feldman,
Associated Press, The Washington Post
1/5/11).
The following report provides the
latest information regarding under-represented
populations of hunters and
anglers: women, Hispanics, and African-
Americans. This information is provided
to help policy makers and sportspersons
who are faced with decision-making on
game management in the U.S. The report
identifies who minority and women
sportspersons are, where they fish and
hunt, and the types of game or fish
they seek. In addition to demographic
information, this report also outlines
differences for low participation groups
expenditures and trends.
All data presented here are from the
sportsperson section of the 2006 National
Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-
Associated Recreation (FHWAR). It
is the most comprehensive survey of
wildlife recreation in the United States.
Altogether, almost 22,000 angler and
hunter interviews were completed
with a response rate of 77 percent. The
Survey focused on 2006 participation and
expenditures by U.S. residents 16 years
of age and older.
4 Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
Sportspersons
Almost 34 million Americans over the age
of 16 participated in the traditional sports
of hunting or fishing in 2006. Of the 34
million sportspersons there were eight
million women, 1.7 million Hispanics and
1.6 million African-Americans.
A quarter of all sportspersons
participated in both hunting and fishing
in 2006. A look at the low participation
groups reveals separation between the
two sports. Fifteen percent of Hispanic
sportsmen and women participated
in both hunting and fishing. African-
American hunters and anglers were even
more specialized with only 8 percent
of sportspersons participating in both
hunting and fishing – the majority went
fishing. Less than 10 percent of females
went both hunting and fishing and 86
percent reported fishing only.
Fished Only Hunted Only
Fished and Hunted
Fished Only Hunted Only
Fished and Hunted
Fished Only Hunted Only
Fished and Hunted
Fished Only Hunted Only
Fished and Hunted
12% 63%
25%
Total Sportspersons
(Total: 33.9 Million)
88%
4%
8%
African-American Sportspersons
(Total: 1.6 Million)
76%
9%
15%
Hispanic Sportspersons
(Total: 1.7 Million)
86%
5%
9%
Total Sportswomen
(Total: 8.1 Million)
Figure 1. Percent of Sportspersons by Type of Activity: 2006
Youth and Female Sportspersons
In 2006 an estimated 1.6 million
6-to-15-year-old Americans
hunted and 8.3 million fished. Of
the hunters, 303,000 were female,
102,000 were non-White (sample
size does not allow reliable African-
American estimates), and 82,000
were Hispanic. That is nineteen, six,
and five percent of all 6–15-year-old
hunters, respectively. Of the anglers,
3.2 million were female, 911,000
were non-White (480,000 were
African-American), and 704,000
were Hispanic. That is thirty-eight,
eleven, and eight percent,
respectively. Sixty-six percent of
young sportspersons came from
urban areas, which is slightly
more than the fifty-nine percent of
adult sportspersons.
Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers 5
Hunting Participation
Five percent of the U.S. population 16
years old and older went hunting in 2006.
Participation in hunting by females,
Hispanics and African-Americans reveals
a consistent 1% participation rate across
these subgroups.
Hunters 16 years old and older spent
$6.5 billion on their trips and $5.4 billion
on hunting equipment in 2006. These
hunters spent, on average, $521 a year on
trips and $429 on hunting equipment.
The 1.2 million females who hunted spent
11.7 million days afield seeking big game,
small game, migratory birds and other
animals. On average, they spent 10 days
in the field hunting game. They took 9.9
million trips with an average of 9 trips
per hunter. Over $250 million was spent
on trip-related expenses such as food,
lodging and gas. Another $278 million
was spent on hunting equipment. On a
per-hunter average, females spent less
than the national average on hunting
trips and equipment purchases.
Figure 2. Percent of U.S. Population Participating in Hunting: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Table 1. Hunters, Days, Trips and Expenditures: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older. Numbers in thousands.)
Adventuresome at Any Age
This dynamic duo doesn’t let age
or a few wrinkles get in the way of
their passion. While most women
over the age of 80 prefer to spend
time indoors, sisters Lauwanna
“Wanna” Woodruff, 90, and Druzilla
“Boozie” Glenn, 82, prefer to spend
their days camped out in the Mark
Twain National Forest hunting wild
turkeys. Residents of northeast
Arkansas, Wanna and Boozie have
been hunting since 1952 and see no
sign of slowing down. “We enjoy
watching the sun come up and the
animals wake and then putting a
big turkey or a deer in our sights,”
said Boozie. And there is no need
for these ladies to be fearful in the
woods, “who is going to mess with
two crazy women with shotguns?”
remarked Boozie (Jill J. Easton.
Adventures of Wanna and Boozie.
Turkey Country, Vol. 2, Issue 5.
06/11).
All Hunters
African-
American
Hunters
Hispanic
Hunters
Female
Hunters
Hunters 12,510 194 424 1,159
Days of Hunting 219,925 3,188 4,432 11,681
Mean Days of Hunting 18 17 11 10
Trips 185,399 2,649 4,392 9,860
Mean Hunting Trips 15 14 10 9
Total Trip Expenditures $6,519,021 $119,017 $185,568 $256,811
Mean Trip Expenditures $521 $613 $438 $222
Total Equipment Expenditures $5,366,357 $68,296 $118,714 $278,649
Mean Equipment Expenditures $429 $352 $280 $240
** All expenditures are depicted in 2006 dollars. Trip expenditures do not include heating and cooking fuel
and equipment expenditures do not include auxiliary expenditures. These exclusions were necessary to
make the estimates comparable with the trends section of this report.
5.5%
0.7%
1.5%
1.0%
All Hunters
African-American
Hunters
Hispanic
Hunters
Female
Hunters
6 Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
The 194 thousand African-Americans who hunted in 2006 spent 3.2 million days afield with an average of 17 hunting days. They took 2.6 million trips with an average of 14 trips per hunter. African-American hunters spent more than the national average for all hunters on trip-related expenditures ($613).
Over four hundred thousand Hispanics went hunting in 2006. They spent 4.4 million days pursing game, with an average of 11 days per hunter. The 4.4 million hunting trips they took averaged 10 trips per hunter. Expenditures for Hispanic hunters totaled $186 million for trip-related purchases and $119 million for equipment such as decoys, game calls, and ammunition. They averaged $438 per hunter for trips and $280 per hunter for equipment.
Regional Distribution
Information on the regional distribution of general and diverse populations of sportspersons in the U.S. can help natural resource managers and policymakers effectively plan and provide opportunities for all groups.
Figure 5 shows the distribution of all hunters and subpopulations throughout the country. For all hunters, the South (38 percent) and Midwest (33 percent) have the highest proportion of hunters living there. The only reportable region for African-American hunters was the South where 87 percent of all African-American hunters in the U.S. lived there. Over half the population of Hispanic hunters also live in South (55 percent). The West had a large proportion of Hispanic hunters (32 percent) compared to all other hunters and subgroups. Sample sizes were also too small to show for Hispanic Hunters in the Northeast region. The largest regional proportion of female hunters was in the Midwest (37 percent) followed closely by the South (35 percent).
Figure 3. Mean Hunting Days: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 4. Mean Hunting Trips: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 5. Regional Distribution of Hunters: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Note: Does not equal 100 when subcategory has too small a sample size.
18171110All HuntersAfrican-AmericanHuntersHispanic HuntersFemale HuntersAll HuntersAfrican-AmericanHuntersHispanic HuntersFemale Hunters1514109All HuntersAfrican-AmericanHuntersHispanic HuntersFemale Hunters1513331237388755351332150102030405060708090100PercentWestSouthMidwestNortheastParticipation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers 7
Hunting Expenditures
Hunting expenditures are divided into two categories: trip-related expenditures such as food, lodging and transportation and equipment expenditures such as ammunition, decoys and clothing. Figure 6 illustrates a comparison of mean trip expenditures for hunters. African-American hunters consistently spent more on average ($613) for hunting trips than all hunters ($521). The other subpopulations spent less on average per year than all hunters who spent $521 per year. Hispanics spent $438 while females spent the least, $222.
Average spending for hunting equipment is shown in Figure 7. In this case, each of the subpopulations averaged less than the national average for all hunters ($429). Of the subpopulations, African-Americans again spent the most ($352), while Hispanics spent $280 and females spent $240.
Hunting Licenses
Eighty percent of all hunters purchased a hunting license in 2006. Some individuals were exempt from buying a license because they were landowners, were above a certain age or had a disability. Hunting license purchases were lower for the subpopulations. Seventy-two percent of female hunters, 71 percent of Hispanic hunters and 64 percent of African-American hunters purchased one or more hunting licenses in 2006.
Figure 6. Average Hunting Trip Expenditures: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 7. Average Hunting Equipment Expenditures: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 8. Hunters Who Purchased Licenses: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
All HuntersAfrican-AmericanHuntersHispanic HuntersFemale Hunters$521$613$438$222All HuntersAfrican-AmericanHuntersHispanic HuntersFemale Hunters$429 $352 $280 $240 All HuntersAfrican-AmericanHuntersHispanic HuntersFemale HuntersPurchased a licenseDid not purchase a license80%64%71%72%20%36%29%28%8 Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
Public and Private Land Hunting
Private land continues to be the most popular place for hunters to take to the field. Over 80 percent of all hunters accessed private land to hunt and 39 percent went on public land in search of wild game. For women, 79 percent hunted on private land while 29 percent accessed public hunting land. African-American hunters were more likely to use private land with 86 percent hunting on private land and another 17 percent accessing public land. 74 percent of Hispanic hunters hunted on private land; 33 percent hunted public land.
Type of Hunting
The FHWAR Survey categorizes hunting into four distinctive types: Big Game (deer, elk, wild turkey), Small Game (squirrel, rabbit), Migratory Bird (geese, ducks), and Other Animal (coyotes, foxes) hunting.
In 1955 small game hunting was the most popular, but today it’s big game that reigns on top. Eighty-five percent of all hunters pursued big game; and for females, this proportion was even higher (87 percent). Big game hunting was preferred by African-American hunters as well as Hispanic hunters with 81 and 79 percent respectively.
Thirty-eight percent of all hunters sought small game. Small game was even more popular for African-American hunters with over half seeking them (54 percent). Hispanic hunters were active small game hunters with 48 percent seeking small game in 2006. Small game was not as popular for female hunters where less than a quarter (24 percent) pursued squirrel, rabbit, and other small game.
Migratory bird hunting, which includes doves, geese and ducks, were sought by 18 percent of all hunters. Compared to all other hunters, Hispanics were one and a half times more likely to hunt migratory birds (28 percent). Eleven percent of women pursued migratory birds. African-American hunters had a sample size too small to report data reliably for migratory bird hunting.
Figure 9. Hunting on Public and Private Land: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 10. Percent of Hunters, by Type of Game: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Note: Detail does not add to 100 because hunters can hunt on more than one type of land.
All HuntersAfrican-AmericanHuntersHispanic HuntersFemale HuntersHunting on Private LandHunting on Public Land82%86%74%79%39%17%33%29%0102030405060708090100PercentBig GameSmall GameMigratory BirdOther AnimalAll HuntersAfrican-AmericanHuntersHispanic HuntersFemale Hunters8581798738544824182811986Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers 9
Type of Game
Deer, including white-tails and mulies, are by far the most popular type of game hunted in America. Eighty percent of all hunters sought deer in 2006. Eighty-two percent of all female hunters, three quarters (75 percent) of all African-American hunters, and 70 percent of all Hispanic hunters hunted deer. Wild turkey was another popular big game species with 21 percent of all hunters going afield for them. Fourteen percent of females and 12 percent of Hispanic hunters sought wild turkey in 2006. For small game, squirrel and rabbit are popular with 15 percent of hunters in the U.S. hunting them. Squirrel hunting was even more popular for African-American hunters where 36 percent hunted squirrel and 26 percent sought rabbit. Squirrel hunting was popular for Hispanic hunters too; 22 percent hunted them. For women, small game was not as popular, less than 10 percent of females hunted either squirrel or rabbit.
Figure 11. Hunters by Selected Species: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
0102030405060708090100PercentDeerWild TurkeySquirrelRabbitAll HuntersAfrican-AmericanHuntersHispanic HuntersFemale Hunters80757082211214153622715266
USFWS/Anna Harris10 Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
Trends
There has been a decline in hunting over the past decade. Between 1991 and 2006 there was a decline of 12 percent in hunting participation in the U.S. The trend between 1996 and 2006 for African-American hunters is even more alarming. African-American hunters reached a high of 303 thousand hunters in 1996 and by 2006 the number of hunters fell to less than 200 thousand. For both Hispanic and female hunters the trend was level, showing no statistical significance between 1996 and 2006.
Days afield is another way to measure hunter avidity. Overall, all hunting days have declined 17 percent between 1996 and 2006. For the subpopulations, there was no statistically significant change between the number of days hunters spent in the field between 1996 and 2006.
Spending for hunting trips has been steady between 1996 and 2006. During this ten-year period hunters spent around $6 billion on food, lodging, and transportation. The subpopulations of African-American, Hispanic and female hunters saw no change in spending patterns for trip-related expenditures between 1996 and 2006. Equipment purchases made by all hunters saw a 33 percent decline in spending between 1996 and 2006. For the subpopulations, there were no significant differences in spending between those ten years.
Table 2. Trends in Hunter Participation, Days, and Expenditures: 1991 to 2006
(Population 16 years old and older. Numbers in thousands.)
Key to the Future: Female Hunters
Are female hunters increasing in number? Despite recent popularization (high visibility within the media and popular culture) of female hunters, past FHWAR Survey results point to a more complicated story. A comparison of results from the 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006 shows a slight increase in the number of female hunters but this result is not statistically significant. In 1991, 1.1 million females reported hunting. In 1996 that number increased to 1.2 million and has remained constant in both 2001 and 2006. Results from the 2011 Survey may help to validate this claim of increasing participation by female hunters.
1991
1996
2001
2006
1996–2006
Hunters
Total Hunters
14,006
13,975
13,034
12,510
–12%
African-American
294
303
288
194
–56%
Hispanic
274
335
428
424
*
Women
1,069
1,192
1,189
1,159
*
Days
Total Days
235,806
256,676
228,367
219,925
–17%
African-American
5,499
4,839
5,382
3,188
*
Hispanic
3,229
4,363
5,139
4,432
*
Women
13,512
13,074
14,068
11,681
*
Hunting Expenditures
Total Trip Expenditures
5,108,033
$6,288,733
$5,895,252
$6,519,021
*
African-American
97,970
$105,036
$120,647
$119,017
*
Hispanic
74,950
$238,123
$262,382
$185,568
*
Women
274,708
$281,941
$220,870
$256,811
*
Total Equipment Expenditures
4,875,493
$7,125,247
$5,195,568
$5,366,357
–33%
African-American
75,746
$111,951
$105,205
$68,296
*
Hispanic
83,055
$147,962
$140,501
$118,714
*
Women
220,651
$291,088
$218,890
$278,649
*
The “*” denotes that the percentage is not different from zero at the 90 percent confidence level. Thus for 90 percent of all possible samples, the estimate between one survey year is not different from another survey year. Expenditures are in 2006 dollars.
** All expenditures are depicted in 2006 dollars. Two changes are made to the 2006 and 2001 expendtiures to be consistent with 1991 and 1996 estimates. First, trip expenditures for 2001 and 2006 do not include heating and cooking fuel. Second, the 2001 and 2006 equipment expenditures do not include auxiliary expenditures. These exclusions were necessary to make the estimates comparable with previous publications.
Figure 12. Indexed Hunting Trend
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Index of ParticipationTotal Hunters African-American Hispanic Women 50607080901001101201301401501601991199620012006Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers 11
Fishing
In 2006 almost 30 million anglers took
to the varied fresh and marine waters
of the U.S. Out of this group, 7.6 million
were female, 1.6 million Hispanic and 1.5
million anglers were African-American.
Thirteen percent of the U.S. population
16 years old and older went fishing in
2006. For African-Americans and females
the participation rate was 6 percent and
for Hispanics, participation was even
lower at only 5 percent in 2006.
Table 3. Participation, Days, Trips, and Expenditures: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older. Numbers in thousands.)
Figure 13. Participation Rates for Fishing: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
All Anglers
African-
American
Anglers
Hispanic
Anglers
Female
Anglers
Anglers 29,952 1,515 1,576 7,615
Days of Fishing 516,781 28,474 24,477 89,058
Mean Days of Fishing 17 20 16 12
Trips 403,492 23,927 21,277 71,063
Mean Fishing Trips 13 17 14 10
Trip Expenditures $17,704,656 $684,430 $679,337 $2,170,788
Mean Trip Expenditures $591 $452 $431 $285
Equipment Expenditures $5,332,401 $285,219 $343,214 $789,333
Mean Equipment Expenditures $178 $188 $218 $104
All Anglers
African-American
Anglers
Hispanic
Anglers
Female
Anglers
13%
6%
5%
6%
USFWS/Steve Hillebrand
12 Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
The average U.S. angler spent 17 days on the water fishing. African-American anglers had a slightly higher average, with 20 days fishing. Hispanic anglers were just under the national average with 16 days fishing. Female anglers had an average of 12 days on the water.
Since trips can include multiple fishing days, the average number of fishing trips for all anglers in 2006 was 13. Hispanic anglers took an average of 14 fishing trips and African-American anglers, on average, took the most: 17 trips. Female anglers took an average of 10 fishing trips in 2006.
Region
A breakdown by region paints a broad picture of where anglers are fishing in different parts of the country. As a whole, the South had the highest percent of all anglers (42 percent). It also had the highest shares of Hispanic (52 percent) and female anglers (44 percent). Almost three quarters (74 percent) of African-American anglers lived in the South too. The West had a large proportion of Hispanic anglers (35 percent), and the Midwest a large share of female anglers (30 percent). The Northeast had the lowest share of all anglers (13 percent) and low shares of all subpopulations.
Figure 14. Average Fishing Days: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 15. Average Fishing Trips: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 16. Regional Distribution of Anglers: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
All AnglersAfrican-AmericanAnglersHispanic AnglersFemale Anglers17201612All AnglersAfrican-AmericanAnglersHispanic AnglersFemale Anglers13171410All AnglersAfrican-AmericanAnglersHispanic AnglersFemale Anglers0102030405060708090100PercentWestSouthMidwestNortheast13 74102816830427452441743516Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers 13
Fishing Types
Eighty-four percent of anglers in the U.S. fished in freshwater. For female anglers, the percent is almost the same (83 percent). Freshwater fishing was slightly less popular for African-American anglers (79 percent) and Hispanic anglers (72 percent). In 2006, 26 percent of all anglers fished in saltwater. Saltwater was more popular among the subpopulations with 44 percent of Hispanic anglers and 28 percent of African-American anglers fishing in saltwater. Five percent of all anglers fished in the Great Lakes but the Great Lakes had low shares of the demographic groups: 4 percent of African Americans and 3 percent of females fished in the Great Lakes. The sample size was too small to report Hispanics fishing in the Great Lakes.
Fishing For Selected Species
In freshwater, black bass tops the chart as having the most anglers fishing for that species (40 percent) in 2006. Yet a closer look at the demographics of freshwater anglers reveals catfish were a more popular species for Hispanic (40 percent) and African-American (48 percent) anglers. For females, panfish (32 percent) and black bass (32 percent) where among the most popular freshwater species female anglers sought.
Fly fishing is a special angling method in which an artificial “fly” is used to catch fish. It can be done in fresh or saltwater using a fly rod, reel and specialized weighted line. In the U.S. 6 percent of all anglers used a fly rod to fish in 2006. This was consistent among the subpopulations as well. Ice fishing is another special fishing mode that involves fishing on a frozen lake or stream through a hole in the ice. It was enjoyed by 10 percent of all anglers. Ice fishing was less popular among subpopulations with only 4 percent of female anglers and 2 percent of Hispanic and African-American anglers participating.
Figure 17. Percent of Anglers, by Water Type: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 18. Percent of Anglers, by Freshwater Species: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 18a. Ice Fishing Participation Rates: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
0102030405060708090100PercentFreshwater Saltwater Great LakesAll AnglersAfrican-AmericanAnglersHispanic AnglersFemale Anglers84797283262844235430102030405060PercentPanfishBlack BassCatfishTroutAll AnglersAfrican-AmericanAnglersHispanic AnglersFemale Anglers3036153240313332284840292794022All AnglersAfrican-AmericanAnglersHispanicAnglersFemaleAnglers2% 2% 4% 10% 14 Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
In 2006, almost half (48 percent) of all Hispanic anglers fished for red drum in saltwater compared to only a quarter of all U.S. anglers (24 percent). Flatfish was popular for both African-American (28 percent) and female (35 percent) anglers. Striped bass was sought by 21 percent of African-American anglers, 11 percent of Hispanic anglers, and 10 percent of female anglers.
Expenditures
The 30 million anglers in the U.S. spent over $17 billion on trip-related expenses including transportation, lodging, food and guide fees. The average angler in the U.S. spent $591 on trip expenses. Equipment expenses for items such as rods, reels, and bait totaled $5.3 billion in 2006. The average angler spent $178 per year on fishing equipment.
African-American anglers spent $684 million on trip-related expenses, with an average of $452 per angler. Hispanics had a slightly lower average of $431 per angler with a total of $679 million on their trips. Female anglers spent over $2 million on fishing trip-related items and had an average of $285 per angler. The average expenditures for both African-American ($188) and Hispanic ($218) anglers were higher than the average of all anglers. Female anglers were again the lowest spenders, on average, out of the three subpopulations.
Trends
Fishing participation has seen a decrease from over 35 million anglers in 1996 to fewer than 30 million in 2006.
Angling days, another way to measure avidity, also saw a decline between 1996 and 2006. The 1996 FHWAR Survey recorded a high of 626 million fishing days; but, by 2006, the number of
Figure 19. Percent of Anglers, by Saltwater Species: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 20. Mean Fishing Trip Expenditures: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 21. Mean Fishing Equipment Expenditures
(Population 16 years old and older.)
0102030405060PercentFlatfishRed DrumSea TroutStriped BassAll AnglersAfrican-AmericanAnglersHispanic AnglersFemale Anglers27283735242348211915341518211110All AnglersAfrican-AmericanAnglersHispanic AnglersFemale Anglers$591$452$431$285All AnglersAfrican-AmericanAnglersHispanic AnglersFemale Anglers$178$188$218$104Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers 15
fishing days dwindled by 21 percent. Expenditures for anglers have remained steady with a slight decrease in equipment spending.
Between 1996 and 2006 African-American anglers did not see a statistically significant change in participation while Hispanics had a 25 percent increase in participation during that time period. Female anglers were similar to all anglers with a decline in participation between those ten years.
Hispanic anglers spent more days fishing, as shown by the significant 32 percent increase in the number of fishing days. Female anglers had a 27 percent decline in angling days between 1996 and 2006 while African-American’s angling days remained unchanged.
Expenditures for trip-related items were consistent for African-American and Hispanic anglers for both 1996 and 2006. However, female anglers decreased their spending (21 percent) on trip-expenses during that time period. Equipment purchases by all anglers saw a decline in spending (13 percent) between 1996 and 2006. However, Hispanic anglers spent more on fishing equipment and between 1996 and 2006; there was a 40 percent increase for Hispanic angling equipment expenditures.
Lapsed Sportsmen Programs
Hunting and fishing saw a decline in participation between 1996 and 2006. Participation is not the only measure of success or trends for these recreational sports. Research has shown many anglers and hunters who do not hunt or fish every year still consider themselves hunters and anglers, even though their licenses or participation have lapsed. In recent years states have designed lapsed angler and hunter recruitment programs in an effort to increase license sales and participation. Agency officials recognize state fish and wildlife resources greatly depend on a consistent flow of revenue from license sales and are using new advertising campaigns to increase sportsmen participation.
Table 4. Trends in Anglers Participation, Days, and Expenditures: 1991 to 2006
(Population 16 years old and older. Numbers in thousands.)
1991
1996
2001
2006
1996–2006
Anglers
Total Anglers
35,787
35,246
34,071
29,952
–18%
African-American
1,815
1,802
1,564
1,515
*
Hispanic
1,218
1,185
1,564
1,576
25%
Women
9,935
9,509
8,912
7,615
–25%
Days
Total Days
511,328
625,893
557,394
516,781
–21%
African-American
23,273
40,131
24,702
28,474
*
Hispanic
14,375
16,685
19,060
24,477
32%
Women
97,699
112,841
107,692
89,058
–27%
Fishing Expenditures
Total Trip Expenditures
$15,443,868
$17,299,985
$14,578,102
$17,704,656
*
African-American
$569,120
$659,450
$401,003
$684,430
*
Hispanic
$385,395
$577,791
$532,569
$679,337
*
Women
$2,654,437
$2,625,915
$2,321,156
$2,170,788
–21%
Total Equipment Expenditures
$5,199,844
$6,017,407
$4,617,612
$5,332,401
–13%
African-American
$182,371
$260,875
$163,347
$285,219
*
Hispanic
$167,547
$206,509
$249,084
$343,214
40%
Women
$946,316
$757,855
$662,179
$789,333
*
The “*” denotes that the percentage is not different from zero at the 90 percent confidence level. Thus for 90 percent of all possible samples, the estimate between one survey year is not different from another survey year. Expenditures are in 2006 dollars.
** All expenditures are depicted in 2006 dollars. Two changes are made to the 2006 and 2001 expendtiures to be consistent with 1991 and 1996 estimates. First, trip expenditures for 2001 and 2006 do not include heating and cooking fuel. Second, the 2001 and 2006 equipment expenditures do not include auxiliary expenditures. These exclusions were necessary to make the estimates comparable with previous publications.
Figure 22. Indexed Fishing Trends
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Index of ParticipationTotal Anglers African-American Hispanic Women 1991199620012006506070809010011012013014016 Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
Conclusion
This report has presented detailed
information on the participation and
expenditure patterns of African-
American, Hispanic and female anglers
and hunters. This information includes
participation rates, days and trips
level, expenditures, usage of public and
private land, types of fishing and hunting
and species pursued. Comparisons of
this information among the different
populations of hunters and anglers reveal
that these populations are unique in
many respects.
There are a number of ways wildlife
professionals can use information in
this report. The data can be used in to
improve hunting and fishing experiences
for these low participation groups.
For instance, the report indicates that
subpopulations are less likely to purchase
a license to hunt. Hunter safety and
conservation programs could be designed
for these demographic groups with an
emphasis on the importance of buying a
license and penalties for getting caught
without one.
Since most state fish and game agency
budgets are funded in part through
license sales, hunter recruitment and
retention is a big concern for current
wildlife managers. Research has pointed
to the loss of small game habitat as
one reason for the decline in hunting
participation. African-American and
Hispanic hunters were avid small game
hunters compared to all other hunters.
Many hunters hunt predominantly on
private land. To avoid overcrowding and
over-hunting, resource managers could
examine why private land is preferred
over public land and increase efforts
to make public land more favorable.
This may include managing habitat for
small game hunting opportunities to
accommodate the demand.
Another use of the data is directing
information toward the appropriate
user groups. For instance, the report
shows a large proportion of Hispanic
and African-American anglers fish for
catfish. Changes in fishing regulations
or advisories for that species could
have a large impact on this user group.
Wildlife professionals could target
information to this group in Spanish and
English and choose the best medium to
disseminate information.
Expenditure information can provide
the hunting and fishing industry with a
better understanding of their customers.
Demographic profiles of trip and
equipment expenditures can be used to
better serve customers and for marketing
purposes. Some key findings include
African-American hunters spending more
on trip-related expenditures compared
to the other hunter groups while the
number of African-American hunters
decreased significantly between 1996
and 2006. For fishing, Hispanic anglers
are increasing, spending more days
fishing and also reportedly spending
more on average on equipment than any
other group.
USFWS/Carl Zitzman
Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers 17
Appendix A. Selected Characteristics of Resident Anglers
and Hunters by State: 2006
A state-by-state breakdown provides a
closer look at where women and minority
hunters and anglers reside. The first
column entitled “Population” indicates
the number of people in each state for
the three subpopulations. The second
“Sportspersons” column provides the
number of minority and female hunters
or anglers in each state. “Participation
rate” is the proportion of the population
that participated in hunting or fishing
in 2006.
Almost 20 percent of females in Alaska
went hunting, fishing, or both in 2006.
This was by far the highest participation
rate for women compared to the
rest of the U.S. Overall, the average
sportsperson participation rate for
females was 7 percent. Other states
with a high proportion of sportswomen
included Minnesota (17 percent), North
Dakota (15 percent), and Wyoming
(16 percent).
Participation in hunting and fishing by
state was tough to report for Hispanics
due to small sample sizes at the state
level. Overall, 7 percent of the Hispanic
population in the U.S. went hunting or
fishing. Wyoming had a huge proportion
(37 percent) of its Hispanic population
participating in hunting and fishing in
2006. Other reportable states with a high
participation rate include New Mexico
(17 percent) and Utah (13 percent).
The majority of states were unable
to report sportsperson participation
by African-American hunters and
anglers due to small sample sizes. For
those states that were reportable, 12
percent of African-Americans in South
Carolina and Louisiana went hunting,
fishing or both in 2006. That was double
the sportsperson participation rate in
the U.S. overall (6 percent of African-
Americans). Mississippi, North Carolina,
and Tennessee all had a 10 percent
participation rate for African-American
sportspersons.
USFWS/Steve Maslowski
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov
June 2012
Cover photo:

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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
Addendum to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
Report 2006-11U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
June 2012 Anna HarrisU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceDivision of Policy and ProgramsArlington VA
This report is intended to complement the National and State Reports for the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. The conclusions in this report are the authors’ and do not represent official positions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The author thanks Sylvia Cabrera abd Richard Aiken for their input into this report.
Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
Addendum to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
Report 2006-112 Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
Contents
Introduction ......................................................................3
Sportspersons ....................................................................4
Hunting Participation .............................................................5
Regional Distribution .............................................................6
Hunting Expenditures ............................................................7
Hunting Licenses ................................................................7
Public and Private Land Hunting .................................................8
Type of Hunting ..................................................................8
Type of Game ....................................................................9
Trends ..........................................................................10
Fishing ..........................................................................11
Region ..........................................................................12
Fishing Types ...................................................................13
Fishing For Selected Species .....................................................13
Expenditures ...................................................................14
Trends ..........................................................................14
Conclusion ......................................................................16
Appendix A. Selected Characteristics of Resident Anglers and
Hunters by State: 2006 ............................................................17Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers 3
Introduction
USFWS/Anna Harris
In October of 2011 the Secretary
of Interior touted the findings in a
new report that identified several
parks and historic areas with ties to
minorities. National parks provide an
excellent opportunity for American’s
to explore the outdoors and annually
receive over 11 billion visitors. In his
effort to identify more of these sites
important to the nation’s Hispanics and
African-Americans, Secretary Salazar
encouraged the Park Service “to identify
more sites tied to minorities that could be
added to the park system.” Presently less
than 3 percent of all national landmarks
are designated for women, Hispanics or
African-Americans (Venessa Feldman,
Associated Press, The Washington Post
1/5/11).
The following report provides the
latest information regarding under-represented
populations of hunters and
anglers: women, Hispanics, and African-
Americans. This information is provided
to help policy makers and sportspersons
who are faced with decision-making on
game management in the U.S. The report
identifies who minority and women
sportspersons are, where they fish and
hunt, and the types of game or fish
they seek. In addition to demographic
information, this report also outlines
differences for low participation groups
expenditures and trends.
All data presented here are from the
sportsperson section of the 2006 National
Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-
Associated Recreation (FHWAR). It
is the most comprehensive survey of
wildlife recreation in the United States.
Altogether, almost 22,000 angler and
hunter interviews were completed
with a response rate of 77 percent. The
Survey focused on 2006 participation and
expenditures by U.S. residents 16 years
of age and older.
4 Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
Sportspersons
Almost 34 million Americans over the age
of 16 participated in the traditional sports
of hunting or fishing in 2006. Of the 34
million sportspersons there were eight
million women, 1.7 million Hispanics and
1.6 million African-Americans.
A quarter of all sportspersons
participated in both hunting and fishing
in 2006. A look at the low participation
groups reveals separation between the
two sports. Fifteen percent of Hispanic
sportsmen and women participated
in both hunting and fishing. African-
American hunters and anglers were even
more specialized with only 8 percent
of sportspersons participating in both
hunting and fishing – the majority went
fishing. Less than 10 percent of females
went both hunting and fishing and 86
percent reported fishing only.
Fished Only Hunted Only
Fished and Hunted
Fished Only Hunted Only
Fished and Hunted
Fished Only Hunted Only
Fished and Hunted
Fished Only Hunted Only
Fished and Hunted
12% 63%
25%
Total Sportspersons
(Total: 33.9 Million)
88%
4%
8%
African-American Sportspersons
(Total: 1.6 Million)
76%
9%
15%
Hispanic Sportspersons
(Total: 1.7 Million)
86%
5%
9%
Total Sportswomen
(Total: 8.1 Million)
Figure 1. Percent of Sportspersons by Type of Activity: 2006
Youth and Female Sportspersons
In 2006 an estimated 1.6 million
6-to-15-year-old Americans
hunted and 8.3 million fished. Of
the hunters, 303,000 were female,
102,000 were non-White (sample
size does not allow reliable African-
American estimates), and 82,000
were Hispanic. That is nineteen, six,
and five percent of all 6–15-year-old
hunters, respectively. Of the anglers,
3.2 million were female, 911,000
were non-White (480,000 were
African-American), and 704,000
were Hispanic. That is thirty-eight,
eleven, and eight percent,
respectively. Sixty-six percent of
young sportspersons came from
urban areas, which is slightly
more than the fifty-nine percent of
adult sportspersons.
Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers 5
Hunting Participation
Five percent of the U.S. population 16
years old and older went hunting in 2006.
Participation in hunting by females,
Hispanics and African-Americans reveals
a consistent 1% participation rate across
these subgroups.
Hunters 16 years old and older spent
$6.5 billion on their trips and $5.4 billion
on hunting equipment in 2006. These
hunters spent, on average, $521 a year on
trips and $429 on hunting equipment.
The 1.2 million females who hunted spent
11.7 million days afield seeking big game,
small game, migratory birds and other
animals. On average, they spent 10 days
in the field hunting game. They took 9.9
million trips with an average of 9 trips
per hunter. Over $250 million was spent
on trip-related expenses such as food,
lodging and gas. Another $278 million
was spent on hunting equipment. On a
per-hunter average, females spent less
than the national average on hunting
trips and equipment purchases.
Figure 2. Percent of U.S. Population Participating in Hunting: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Table 1. Hunters, Days, Trips and Expenditures: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older. Numbers in thousands.)
Adventuresome at Any Age
This dynamic duo doesn’t let age
or a few wrinkles get in the way of
their passion. While most women
over the age of 80 prefer to spend
time indoors, sisters Lauwanna
“Wanna” Woodruff, 90, and Druzilla
“Boozie” Glenn, 82, prefer to spend
their days camped out in the Mark
Twain National Forest hunting wild
turkeys. Residents of northeast
Arkansas, Wanna and Boozie have
been hunting since 1952 and see no
sign of slowing down. “We enjoy
watching the sun come up and the
animals wake and then putting a
big turkey or a deer in our sights,”
said Boozie. And there is no need
for these ladies to be fearful in the
woods, “who is going to mess with
two crazy women with shotguns?”
remarked Boozie (Jill J. Easton.
Adventures of Wanna and Boozie.
Turkey Country, Vol. 2, Issue 5.
06/11).
All Hunters
African-
American
Hunters
Hispanic
Hunters
Female
Hunters
Hunters 12,510 194 424 1,159
Days of Hunting 219,925 3,188 4,432 11,681
Mean Days of Hunting 18 17 11 10
Trips 185,399 2,649 4,392 9,860
Mean Hunting Trips 15 14 10 9
Total Trip Expenditures $6,519,021 $119,017 $185,568 $256,811
Mean Trip Expenditures $521 $613 $438 $222
Total Equipment Expenditures $5,366,357 $68,296 $118,714 $278,649
Mean Equipment Expenditures $429 $352 $280 $240
** All expenditures are depicted in 2006 dollars. Trip expenditures do not include heating and cooking fuel
and equipment expenditures do not include auxiliary expenditures. These exclusions were necessary to
make the estimates comparable with the trends section of this report.
5.5%
0.7%
1.5%
1.0%
All Hunters
African-American
Hunters
Hispanic
Hunters
Female
Hunters
6 Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
The 194 thousand African-Americans who hunted in 2006 spent 3.2 million days afield with an average of 17 hunting days. They took 2.6 million trips with an average of 14 trips per hunter. African-American hunters spent more than the national average for all hunters on trip-related expenditures ($613).
Over four hundred thousand Hispanics went hunting in 2006. They spent 4.4 million days pursing game, with an average of 11 days per hunter. The 4.4 million hunting trips they took averaged 10 trips per hunter. Expenditures for Hispanic hunters totaled $186 million for trip-related purchases and $119 million for equipment such as decoys, game calls, and ammunition. They averaged $438 per hunter for trips and $280 per hunter for equipment.
Regional Distribution
Information on the regional distribution of general and diverse populations of sportspersons in the U.S. can help natural resource managers and policymakers effectively plan and provide opportunities for all groups.
Figure 5 shows the distribution of all hunters and subpopulations throughout the country. For all hunters, the South (38 percent) and Midwest (33 percent) have the highest proportion of hunters living there. The only reportable region for African-American hunters was the South where 87 percent of all African-American hunters in the U.S. lived there. Over half the population of Hispanic hunters also live in South (55 percent). The West had a large proportion of Hispanic hunters (32 percent) compared to all other hunters and subgroups. Sample sizes were also too small to show for Hispanic Hunters in the Northeast region. The largest regional proportion of female hunters was in the Midwest (37 percent) followed closely by the South (35 percent).
Figure 3. Mean Hunting Days: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 4. Mean Hunting Trips: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 5. Regional Distribution of Hunters: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Note: Does not equal 100 when subcategory has too small a sample size.
18171110All HuntersAfrican-AmericanHuntersHispanic HuntersFemale HuntersAll HuntersAfrican-AmericanHuntersHispanic HuntersFemale Hunters1514109All HuntersAfrican-AmericanHuntersHispanic HuntersFemale Hunters1513331237388755351332150102030405060708090100PercentWestSouthMidwestNortheastParticipation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers 7
Hunting Expenditures
Hunting expenditures are divided into two categories: trip-related expenditures such as food, lodging and transportation and equipment expenditures such as ammunition, decoys and clothing. Figure 6 illustrates a comparison of mean trip expenditures for hunters. African-American hunters consistently spent more on average ($613) for hunting trips than all hunters ($521). The other subpopulations spent less on average per year than all hunters who spent $521 per year. Hispanics spent $438 while females spent the least, $222.
Average spending for hunting equipment is shown in Figure 7. In this case, each of the subpopulations averaged less than the national average for all hunters ($429). Of the subpopulations, African-Americans again spent the most ($352), while Hispanics spent $280 and females spent $240.
Hunting Licenses
Eighty percent of all hunters purchased a hunting license in 2006. Some individuals were exempt from buying a license because they were landowners, were above a certain age or had a disability. Hunting license purchases were lower for the subpopulations. Seventy-two percent of female hunters, 71 percent of Hispanic hunters and 64 percent of African-American hunters purchased one or more hunting licenses in 2006.
Figure 6. Average Hunting Trip Expenditures: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 7. Average Hunting Equipment Expenditures: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 8. Hunters Who Purchased Licenses: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
All HuntersAfrican-AmericanHuntersHispanic HuntersFemale Hunters$521$613$438$222All HuntersAfrican-AmericanHuntersHispanic HuntersFemale Hunters$429 $352 $280 $240 All HuntersAfrican-AmericanHuntersHispanic HuntersFemale HuntersPurchased a licenseDid not purchase a license80%64%71%72%20%36%29%28%8 Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
Public and Private Land Hunting
Private land continues to be the most popular place for hunters to take to the field. Over 80 percent of all hunters accessed private land to hunt and 39 percent went on public land in search of wild game. For women, 79 percent hunted on private land while 29 percent accessed public hunting land. African-American hunters were more likely to use private land with 86 percent hunting on private land and another 17 percent accessing public land. 74 percent of Hispanic hunters hunted on private land; 33 percent hunted public land.
Type of Hunting
The FHWAR Survey categorizes hunting into four distinctive types: Big Game (deer, elk, wild turkey), Small Game (squirrel, rabbit), Migratory Bird (geese, ducks), and Other Animal (coyotes, foxes) hunting.
In 1955 small game hunting was the most popular, but today it’s big game that reigns on top. Eighty-five percent of all hunters pursued big game; and for females, this proportion was even higher (87 percent). Big game hunting was preferred by African-American hunters as well as Hispanic hunters with 81 and 79 percent respectively.
Thirty-eight percent of all hunters sought small game. Small game was even more popular for African-American hunters with over half seeking them (54 percent). Hispanic hunters were active small game hunters with 48 percent seeking small game in 2006. Small game was not as popular for female hunters where less than a quarter (24 percent) pursued squirrel, rabbit, and other small game.
Migratory bird hunting, which includes doves, geese and ducks, were sought by 18 percent of all hunters. Compared to all other hunters, Hispanics were one and a half times more likely to hunt migratory birds (28 percent). Eleven percent of women pursued migratory birds. African-American hunters had a sample size too small to report data reliably for migratory bird hunting.
Figure 9. Hunting on Public and Private Land: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 10. Percent of Hunters, by Type of Game: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Note: Detail does not add to 100 because hunters can hunt on more than one type of land.
All HuntersAfrican-AmericanHuntersHispanic HuntersFemale HuntersHunting on Private LandHunting on Public Land82%86%74%79%39%17%33%29%0102030405060708090100PercentBig GameSmall GameMigratory BirdOther AnimalAll HuntersAfrican-AmericanHuntersHispanic HuntersFemale Hunters8581798738544824182811986Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers 9
Type of Game
Deer, including white-tails and mulies, are by far the most popular type of game hunted in America. Eighty percent of all hunters sought deer in 2006. Eighty-two percent of all female hunters, three quarters (75 percent) of all African-American hunters, and 70 percent of all Hispanic hunters hunted deer. Wild turkey was another popular big game species with 21 percent of all hunters going afield for them. Fourteen percent of females and 12 percent of Hispanic hunters sought wild turkey in 2006. For small game, squirrel and rabbit are popular with 15 percent of hunters in the U.S. hunting them. Squirrel hunting was even more popular for African-American hunters where 36 percent hunted squirrel and 26 percent sought rabbit. Squirrel hunting was popular for Hispanic hunters too; 22 percent hunted them. For women, small game was not as popular, less than 10 percent of females hunted either squirrel or rabbit.
Figure 11. Hunters by Selected Species: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
0102030405060708090100PercentDeerWild TurkeySquirrelRabbitAll HuntersAfrican-AmericanHuntersHispanic HuntersFemale Hunters80757082211214153622715266
USFWS/Anna Harris10 Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
Trends
There has been a decline in hunting over the past decade. Between 1991 and 2006 there was a decline of 12 percent in hunting participation in the U.S. The trend between 1996 and 2006 for African-American hunters is even more alarming. African-American hunters reached a high of 303 thousand hunters in 1996 and by 2006 the number of hunters fell to less than 200 thousand. For both Hispanic and female hunters the trend was level, showing no statistical significance between 1996 and 2006.
Days afield is another way to measure hunter avidity. Overall, all hunting days have declined 17 percent between 1996 and 2006. For the subpopulations, there was no statistically significant change between the number of days hunters spent in the field between 1996 and 2006.
Spending for hunting trips has been steady between 1996 and 2006. During this ten-year period hunters spent around $6 billion on food, lodging, and transportation. The subpopulations of African-American, Hispanic and female hunters saw no change in spending patterns for trip-related expenditures between 1996 and 2006. Equipment purchases made by all hunters saw a 33 percent decline in spending between 1996 and 2006. For the subpopulations, there were no significant differences in spending between those ten years.
Table 2. Trends in Hunter Participation, Days, and Expenditures: 1991 to 2006
(Population 16 years old and older. Numbers in thousands.)
Key to the Future: Female Hunters
Are female hunters increasing in number? Despite recent popularization (high visibility within the media and popular culture) of female hunters, past FHWAR Survey results point to a more complicated story. A comparison of results from the 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006 shows a slight increase in the number of female hunters but this result is not statistically significant. In 1991, 1.1 million females reported hunting. In 1996 that number increased to 1.2 million and has remained constant in both 2001 and 2006. Results from the 2011 Survey may help to validate this claim of increasing participation by female hunters.
1991
1996
2001
2006
1996–2006
Hunters
Total Hunters
14,006
13,975
13,034
12,510
–12%
African-American
294
303
288
194
–56%
Hispanic
274
335
428
424
*
Women
1,069
1,192
1,189
1,159
*
Days
Total Days
235,806
256,676
228,367
219,925
–17%
African-American
5,499
4,839
5,382
3,188
*
Hispanic
3,229
4,363
5,139
4,432
*
Women
13,512
13,074
14,068
11,681
*
Hunting Expenditures
Total Trip Expenditures
5,108,033
$6,288,733
$5,895,252
$6,519,021
*
African-American
97,970
$105,036
$120,647
$119,017
*
Hispanic
74,950
$238,123
$262,382
$185,568
*
Women
274,708
$281,941
$220,870
$256,811
*
Total Equipment Expenditures
4,875,493
$7,125,247
$5,195,568
$5,366,357
–33%
African-American
75,746
$111,951
$105,205
$68,296
*
Hispanic
83,055
$147,962
$140,501
$118,714
*
Women
220,651
$291,088
$218,890
$278,649
*
The “*” denotes that the percentage is not different from zero at the 90 percent confidence level. Thus for 90 percent of all possible samples, the estimate between one survey year is not different from another survey year. Expenditures are in 2006 dollars.
** All expenditures are depicted in 2006 dollars. Two changes are made to the 2006 and 2001 expendtiures to be consistent with 1991 and 1996 estimates. First, trip expenditures for 2001 and 2006 do not include heating and cooking fuel. Second, the 2001 and 2006 equipment expenditures do not include auxiliary expenditures. These exclusions were necessary to make the estimates comparable with previous publications.
Figure 12. Indexed Hunting Trend
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Index of ParticipationTotal Hunters African-American Hispanic Women 50607080901001101201301401501601991199620012006Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers 11
Fishing
In 2006 almost 30 million anglers took
to the varied fresh and marine waters
of the U.S. Out of this group, 7.6 million
were female, 1.6 million Hispanic and 1.5
million anglers were African-American.
Thirteen percent of the U.S. population
16 years old and older went fishing in
2006. For African-Americans and females
the participation rate was 6 percent and
for Hispanics, participation was even
lower at only 5 percent in 2006.
Table 3. Participation, Days, Trips, and Expenditures: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older. Numbers in thousands.)
Figure 13. Participation Rates for Fishing: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
All Anglers
African-
American
Anglers
Hispanic
Anglers
Female
Anglers
Anglers 29,952 1,515 1,576 7,615
Days of Fishing 516,781 28,474 24,477 89,058
Mean Days of Fishing 17 20 16 12
Trips 403,492 23,927 21,277 71,063
Mean Fishing Trips 13 17 14 10
Trip Expenditures $17,704,656 $684,430 $679,337 $2,170,788
Mean Trip Expenditures $591 $452 $431 $285
Equipment Expenditures $5,332,401 $285,219 $343,214 $789,333
Mean Equipment Expenditures $178 $188 $218 $104
All Anglers
African-American
Anglers
Hispanic
Anglers
Female
Anglers
13%
6%
5%
6%
USFWS/Steve Hillebrand
12 Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
The average U.S. angler spent 17 days on the water fishing. African-American anglers had a slightly higher average, with 20 days fishing. Hispanic anglers were just under the national average with 16 days fishing. Female anglers had an average of 12 days on the water.
Since trips can include multiple fishing days, the average number of fishing trips for all anglers in 2006 was 13. Hispanic anglers took an average of 14 fishing trips and African-American anglers, on average, took the most: 17 trips. Female anglers took an average of 10 fishing trips in 2006.
Region
A breakdown by region paints a broad picture of where anglers are fishing in different parts of the country. As a whole, the South had the highest percent of all anglers (42 percent). It also had the highest shares of Hispanic (52 percent) and female anglers (44 percent). Almost three quarters (74 percent) of African-American anglers lived in the South too. The West had a large proportion of Hispanic anglers (35 percent), and the Midwest a large share of female anglers (30 percent). The Northeast had the lowest share of all anglers (13 percent) and low shares of all subpopulations.
Figure 14. Average Fishing Days: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 15. Average Fishing Trips: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 16. Regional Distribution of Anglers: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
All AnglersAfrican-AmericanAnglersHispanic AnglersFemale Anglers17201612All AnglersAfrican-AmericanAnglersHispanic AnglersFemale Anglers13171410All AnglersAfrican-AmericanAnglersHispanic AnglersFemale Anglers0102030405060708090100PercentWestSouthMidwestNortheast13 74102816830427452441743516Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers 13
Fishing Types
Eighty-four percent of anglers in the U.S. fished in freshwater. For female anglers, the percent is almost the same (83 percent). Freshwater fishing was slightly less popular for African-American anglers (79 percent) and Hispanic anglers (72 percent). In 2006, 26 percent of all anglers fished in saltwater. Saltwater was more popular among the subpopulations with 44 percent of Hispanic anglers and 28 percent of African-American anglers fishing in saltwater. Five percent of all anglers fished in the Great Lakes but the Great Lakes had low shares of the demographic groups: 4 percent of African Americans and 3 percent of females fished in the Great Lakes. The sample size was too small to report Hispanics fishing in the Great Lakes.
Fishing For Selected Species
In freshwater, black bass tops the chart as having the most anglers fishing for that species (40 percent) in 2006. Yet a closer look at the demographics of freshwater anglers reveals catfish were a more popular species for Hispanic (40 percent) and African-American (48 percent) anglers. For females, panfish (32 percent) and black bass (32 percent) where among the most popular freshwater species female anglers sought.
Fly fishing is a special angling method in which an artificial “fly” is used to catch fish. It can be done in fresh or saltwater using a fly rod, reel and specialized weighted line. In the U.S. 6 percent of all anglers used a fly rod to fish in 2006. This was consistent among the subpopulations as well. Ice fishing is another special fishing mode that involves fishing on a frozen lake or stream through a hole in the ice. It was enjoyed by 10 percent of all anglers. Ice fishing was less popular among subpopulations with only 4 percent of female anglers and 2 percent of Hispanic and African-American anglers participating.
Figure 17. Percent of Anglers, by Water Type: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 18. Percent of Anglers, by Freshwater Species: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 18a. Ice Fishing Participation Rates: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
0102030405060708090100PercentFreshwater Saltwater Great LakesAll AnglersAfrican-AmericanAnglersHispanic AnglersFemale Anglers84797283262844235430102030405060PercentPanfishBlack BassCatfishTroutAll AnglersAfrican-AmericanAnglersHispanic AnglersFemale Anglers3036153240313332284840292794022All AnglersAfrican-AmericanAnglersHispanicAnglersFemaleAnglers2% 2% 4% 10% 14 Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
In 2006, almost half (48 percent) of all Hispanic anglers fished for red drum in saltwater compared to only a quarter of all U.S. anglers (24 percent). Flatfish was popular for both African-American (28 percent) and female (35 percent) anglers. Striped bass was sought by 21 percent of African-American anglers, 11 percent of Hispanic anglers, and 10 percent of female anglers.
Expenditures
The 30 million anglers in the U.S. spent over $17 billion on trip-related expenses including transportation, lodging, food and guide fees. The average angler in the U.S. spent $591 on trip expenses. Equipment expenses for items such as rods, reels, and bait totaled $5.3 billion in 2006. The average angler spent $178 per year on fishing equipment.
African-American anglers spent $684 million on trip-related expenses, with an average of $452 per angler. Hispanics had a slightly lower average of $431 per angler with a total of $679 million on their trips. Female anglers spent over $2 million on fishing trip-related items and had an average of $285 per angler. The average expenditures for both African-American ($188) and Hispanic ($218) anglers were higher than the average of all anglers. Female anglers were again the lowest spenders, on average, out of the three subpopulations.
Trends
Fishing participation has seen a decrease from over 35 million anglers in 1996 to fewer than 30 million in 2006.
Angling days, another way to measure avidity, also saw a decline between 1996 and 2006. The 1996 FHWAR Survey recorded a high of 626 million fishing days; but, by 2006, the number of
Figure 19. Percent of Anglers, by Saltwater Species: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 20. Mean Fishing Trip Expenditures: 2006
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Figure 21. Mean Fishing Equipment Expenditures
(Population 16 years old and older.)
0102030405060PercentFlatfishRed DrumSea TroutStriped BassAll AnglersAfrican-AmericanAnglersHispanic AnglersFemale Anglers27283735242348211915341518211110All AnglersAfrican-AmericanAnglersHispanic AnglersFemale Anglers$591$452$431$285All AnglersAfrican-AmericanAnglersHispanic AnglersFemale Anglers$178$188$218$104Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers 15
fishing days dwindled by 21 percent. Expenditures for anglers have remained steady with a slight decrease in equipment spending.
Between 1996 and 2006 African-American anglers did not see a statistically significant change in participation while Hispanics had a 25 percent increase in participation during that time period. Female anglers were similar to all anglers with a decline in participation between those ten years.
Hispanic anglers spent more days fishing, as shown by the significant 32 percent increase in the number of fishing days. Female anglers had a 27 percent decline in angling days between 1996 and 2006 while African-American’s angling days remained unchanged.
Expenditures for trip-related items were consistent for African-American and Hispanic anglers for both 1996 and 2006. However, female anglers decreased their spending (21 percent) on trip-expenses during that time period. Equipment purchases by all anglers saw a decline in spending (13 percent) between 1996 and 2006. However, Hispanic anglers spent more on fishing equipment and between 1996 and 2006; there was a 40 percent increase for Hispanic angling equipment expenditures.
Lapsed Sportsmen Programs
Hunting and fishing saw a decline in participation between 1996 and 2006. Participation is not the only measure of success or trends for these recreational sports. Research has shown many anglers and hunters who do not hunt or fish every year still consider themselves hunters and anglers, even though their licenses or participation have lapsed. In recent years states have designed lapsed angler and hunter recruitment programs in an effort to increase license sales and participation. Agency officials recognize state fish and wildlife resources greatly depend on a consistent flow of revenue from license sales and are using new advertising campaigns to increase sportsmen participation.
Table 4. Trends in Anglers Participation, Days, and Expenditures: 1991 to 2006
(Population 16 years old and older. Numbers in thousands.)
1991
1996
2001
2006
1996–2006
Anglers
Total Anglers
35,787
35,246
34,071
29,952
–18%
African-American
1,815
1,802
1,564
1,515
*
Hispanic
1,218
1,185
1,564
1,576
25%
Women
9,935
9,509
8,912
7,615
–25%
Days
Total Days
511,328
625,893
557,394
516,781
–21%
African-American
23,273
40,131
24,702
28,474
*
Hispanic
14,375
16,685
19,060
24,477
32%
Women
97,699
112,841
107,692
89,058
–27%
Fishing Expenditures
Total Trip Expenditures
$15,443,868
$17,299,985
$14,578,102
$17,704,656
*
African-American
$569,120
$659,450
$401,003
$684,430
*
Hispanic
$385,395
$577,791
$532,569
$679,337
*
Women
$2,654,437
$2,625,915
$2,321,156
$2,170,788
–21%
Total Equipment Expenditures
$5,199,844
$6,017,407
$4,617,612
$5,332,401
–13%
African-American
$182,371
$260,875
$163,347
$285,219
*
Hispanic
$167,547
$206,509
$249,084
$343,214
40%
Women
$946,316
$757,855
$662,179
$789,333
*
The “*” denotes that the percentage is not different from zero at the 90 percent confidence level. Thus for 90 percent of all possible samples, the estimate between one survey year is not different from another survey year. Expenditures are in 2006 dollars.
** All expenditures are depicted in 2006 dollars. Two changes are made to the 2006 and 2001 expendtiures to be consistent with 1991 and 1996 estimates. First, trip expenditures for 2001 and 2006 do not include heating and cooking fuel. Second, the 2001 and 2006 equipment expenditures do not include auxiliary expenditures. These exclusions were necessary to make the estimates comparable with previous publications.
Figure 22. Indexed Fishing Trends
(Population 16 years old and older.)
Index of ParticipationTotal Anglers African-American Hispanic Women 1991199620012006506070809010011012013014016 Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers
Conclusion
This report has presented detailed
information on the participation and
expenditure patterns of African-
American, Hispanic and female anglers
and hunters. This information includes
participation rates, days and trips
level, expenditures, usage of public and
private land, types of fishing and hunting
and species pursued. Comparisons of
this information among the different
populations of hunters and anglers reveal
that these populations are unique in
many respects.
There are a number of ways wildlife
professionals can use information in
this report. The data can be used in to
improve hunting and fishing experiences
for these low participation groups.
For instance, the report indicates that
subpopulations are less likely to purchase
a license to hunt. Hunter safety and
conservation programs could be designed
for these demographic groups with an
emphasis on the importance of buying a
license and penalties for getting caught
without one.
Since most state fish and game agency
budgets are funded in part through
license sales, hunter recruitment and
retention is a big concern for current
wildlife managers. Research has pointed
to the loss of small game habitat as
one reason for the decline in hunting
participation. African-American and
Hispanic hunters were avid small game
hunters compared to all other hunters.
Many hunters hunt predominantly on
private land. To avoid overcrowding and
over-hunting, resource managers could
examine why private land is preferred
over public land and increase efforts
to make public land more favorable.
This may include managing habitat for
small game hunting opportunities to
accommodate the demand.
Another use of the data is directing
information toward the appropriate
user groups. For instance, the report
shows a large proportion of Hispanic
and African-American anglers fish for
catfish. Changes in fishing regulations
or advisories for that species could
have a large impact on this user group.
Wildlife professionals could target
information to this group in Spanish and
English and choose the best medium to
disseminate information.
Expenditure information can provide
the hunting and fishing industry with a
better understanding of their customers.
Demographic profiles of trip and
equipment expenditures can be used to
better serve customers and for marketing
purposes. Some key findings include
African-American hunters spending more
on trip-related expenditures compared
to the other hunter groups while the
number of African-American hunters
decreased significantly between 1996
and 2006. For fishing, Hispanic anglers
are increasing, spending more days
fishing and also reportedly spending
more on average on equipment than any
other group.
USFWS/Carl Zitzman
Participation and Expenditure Patterns of African-American, Hispanic, and Female Hunters and Anglers 17
Appendix A. Selected Characteristics of Resident Anglers
and Hunters by State: 2006
A state-by-state breakdown provides a
closer look at where women and minority
hunters and anglers reside. The first
column entitled “Population” indicates
the number of people in each state for
the three subpopulations. The second
“Sportspersons” column provides the
number of minority and female hunters
or anglers in each state. “Participation
rate” is the proportion of the population
that participated in hunting or fishing
in 2006.
Almost 20 percent of females in Alaska
went hunting, fishing, or both in 2006.
This was by far the highest participation
rate for women compared to the
rest of the U.S. Overall, the average
sportsperson participation rate for
females was 7 percent. Other states
with a high proportion of sportswomen
included Minnesota (17 percent), North
Dakota (15 percent), and Wyoming
(16 percent).
Participation in hunting and fishing by
state was tough to report for Hispanics
due to small sample sizes at the state
level. Overall, 7 percent of the Hispanic
population in the U.S. went hunting or
fishing. Wyoming had a huge proportion
(37 percent) of its Hispanic population
participating in hunting and fishing in
2006. Other reportable states with a high
participation rate include New Mexico
(17 percent) and Utah (13 percent).
The majority of states were unable
to report sportsperson participation
by African-American hunters and
anglers due to small sample sizes. For
those states that were reportable, 12
percent of African-Americans in South
Carolina and Louisiana went hunting,
fishing or both in 2006. That was double
the sportsperson participation rate in
the U.S. overall (6 percent of African-
Americans). Mississippi, North Carolina,
and Tennessee all had a 10 percent
participation rate for African-American
sportspersons.
USFWS/Steve Maslowski
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov
June 2012
Cover photo: